MUMBAI, March 26 (Reuters) - India summoned Canada's High Commissioner on Sunday to "convey strong concern" over Sikh protesters in Canada and how they were allowed to breach the security of India's diplomatic mission and consulates.
According to Canadian media reports, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Indian consulate in Vancouver on Saturday over demands for an independent Sikh state, a simmering issue for decades recently triggered again.
Canada has the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab in India.
"It is expected that the Canadian government will take all steps which are required to ensure the safety of our diplomats and security of our diplomatic premises so that they are able to fulfil their normal diplomatic functions," India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
The statement follows Indian police on March 21 launching a hunt for Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh, who has revived talk of an independent Sikh homeland and stoked fears of a return to violence that killed tens of thousands of people in 1980s and early 1990s.
Police have accused Singh and his supporters of attempted murder, obstruction of law enforcement and creating disharmony and said he had been on the run since last week when officers tried to block his motorcade and arrest him.
Indian police also opened an investigation last week into a protest at its High Commission in London, where protesters with "Khalistan" banners took an Indian flag down from a first-floor balcony of the High Commission to denounce recent police action in India's Punjab state. India summoned the top British diplomat in New Delhi last Sunday seeking an explanation.
Khalistan is the name of an independent Sikh homeland that some members of that community aspire to, both at home in India and in countries where Sikhs have settled.
Reporting by M. Sriram, editing by YP Rajesh and Michael Perry
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
didntevenlookatit on March 28th, 2023 at 15:12 UTC »
I can understand India's unease with Canadian Sikh protesters. I haven't seen it mentioned in the comments, but Sikh activists (terrorists) were responsible for the Air India bombing in Canada in the 80s, were they not?
wappingite on March 28th, 2023 at 10:26 UTC »
It always seems to be the Sikh diaspora and 2nd or 3rd generation living in western countries who seem more interested on Khalistan than those who actually live in the Punjab. it's like they don't speak to Sikhs in India and talk about what they actually want.
weilim on March 28th, 2023 at 09:43 UTC »
Most of the people here dismiss the Sikhs in Canada. But they are quite influential in Parliament, they have 18 Sikhs in Parliament The leader of the NDP is Sikh. And there are a couple of Sikh Ministers. Indian Hindus make up 18% of South Asian Canadians. Sikhs make up 29%, Muslims 23% (Pakistan), and Tamil 11% (mostly from Sri Lanka).
Canadian foreign policy is often driven by the need to get the ethnic vote. Because ethnic minorities care more about their originating countries' issues more than the general Canadian population. Look at the Liberal Party's handling of the Chinese interference. The MP resigned from the Liberal Party, but he is still an MP.
Because ethnic communities tend to congregate in a few constituencies, in a tight campaign they can determine an election. The Sikhs are really concentrated in a few rural / semi-rural constituencies in British Columbia, which magnifies their voting clout (rural constituencies are smaller in terms of population). And many of them are descendants of people who were in Canada before Indian independence, so they don't have much loyalty to the Indian state, to begin with.
Indian officials might think they have the upper hand with Canada, but you would be amazed at what Canadian politicians do when they are motivated by the ethnic vote.